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Tag: labour

  • Labour seeks panel on N56,000 wage

    Labour seeks panel on N56,000 wage

    Labour yesterday urged the Federal Government to constitute a tripartite committee to consider its proposed N56,000 National Minimum Wage proposal.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba and Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Bobbio Kaigama spoke in Abuja at the 2016 May Day celebration.

    Wabba spoke on the theme: “Working class and the quest for socio-economic revival”.

    The NLC and the TUC last Tuesday submitted a proposal for N56,000 National Minimum Wage to the Federal Government.

    Wabba said the committee should comprise the government (Federal and state) the Nigerian Employers Consultative Assembly (NECA), the organised private sector and Labour.

    “During the last May Day, we had stated that as soon as the new government to be sworn in on May 29, 2015 settled down, we would table a proposal for a new National Minimum Wage demand.

    “The National Minimum Wage Act, which former President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law in April 2011, has a five-year reopener clause for new negotiations to review the minimum wage.

    “In fulfillment of the above provision, we recently submitted a N56,000 proposal as minimum wage to the Federal Government.

    “Our proposal of N56,000 is just N4,000 more than the figure we put out for negotiation in December 2008, which was N52,000.

    “This represents our awareness about the prevailing economic situation in the country,’’ he said.

    TUC President Bobbio Kaigama said the economic hardship and its attendant effects on workers had made nonsense of the N18,000 minimum wage.

    He said N18,000 had been operational for over five years and called for its upward review to N56,000.

    “This has become necessary as the present one formally lapsed on March 24.

    “Indeed, even before we submitted our proposal, we had expected the Federal Government to appoint a committee to handle the issue.

    “We anticipate that no state governor would dare claim that his state cannot afford the increase.

    “Each state government should be proactive and look inwards to the state’s bountiful alternative sources of income rather than relying only on statutory monthly allocations from the federation account.”

    Kaigama urged the Federal Government to start the negotiation, adding that any further delay would be counterproductive.

    Labour also requested the Buhari government to put in place strong measures to revive the ailing economy, saying the country is “bleeding” and needs urgent attention.

    Wabba said after it took office, the APC- led federal governmenthas not brought out a blueprint for the creation of the three million jobs annually contained in its manifesto.

    While admitting that the unemployment crisis in the country is a reflection of the wider national economic crisis, Wabba said: “we have persistently pointed out, there is hardly any household in Nigeria where there aren’t at least two or more unemployed persons who have graduated from various tiers of our educational system, looking for job placement for upward of  three to five years.

    “The ruling APC government in its manifesto promised to create three (3) million jobs annually. We have waited one year for the government to bring out its blueprints on how it intends to go about achieving this.

    “Congress will seek audience with Mr. President to get more information on this important matter. On our part as workers, we will be prepared and willing to contribute to any effort to create a ‘Job Creation Fund,’ nationally to tackle this problem.

    “Our worry as organized labour is that if no concrete convictions are secured in the many corruption trials going on, between now and the next 12-15months, those who have stolen these huge fortunes will start feeling that they can outlive the Buahri Presidency, and return to a regime of “business as usual” as far as corruption is concerned.

    He stressed that while in the last twelve months of the Presidency of President Buhari, INEC has been left to run its show as it deemed fit, the desperation of politicians of the two mainstream political parties gives of cause for concern, pointing out that “unless the unfinished reforms started with the partial implementation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais’ electoral reform committee are completed, we see dangers ahead.

    “Among these reforms waiting to be implemented is the establishment of the  Electoral Offences Commission.

    “For us in organized labour, unless our politicians know that there is real possibility that their electoral rascalities carry real penalties of jail terms or long term disqualification from contesting for public offices, the type of disgraceful mayhem witnessed during the recent election in Rivers and other states would continue unabated.

    “The pronouncements of Mr. President both during the campaigns and when he was sworn in as President,  tallied with our long held view that there was no subsidy on petroleum products even when we import 100% our national needs. Mr. President was also right to maintain that the majority of Nigerians because of their poverty cannot afford to pay more for petroleum products – via more price increase.

    “We believe that the corruption which has hindered the effective operation of the industry can be defeated. Wabba lamented the suffering of pensioners due to the non-payment of their pension benefits saying “like workers, our pensioners have been suffering. They are not regularly paid and when paid at all, such payments do not reflect what they should earn..

    “We recall that Mr President  graciously granted bail-out funds to states to enable them pay workers salaries and pension benefits to pensioners but very few ever adverted themselves to this responsibility.  So as we speak, most of our pensioners are in considerable pain and difficulty needing urgent intervention.

    “We therefore insist they be paid immediately. It is their right and not a privilege. Let us not forget for a minute that we are all potential pensioners.

    Wabba emphasized labour’s opposition to former governors and their deputies as well as other public officers receiving double pay, pointing out that “some of the largess paid by state governments to these former public officers ranges from 100% – 300% pension for life, houses in Abuja and states of origin among other incentives.

    He said “We find this double payment to public officials from tax payer’s money as the height of insensitivity to the plight of workers and the Nigerian poor, and a barefaced systematic thievery and looting of our common wealth by those elected or appointed to serve our country.

    “We hold the view that these serving public officers must be made to forgo their pension and severance allowances while working for the Federal government as it is morally reprehensible, ethically irresponsible and should not be accepted in the change project of the present dispensation.

    “We call on workers and their trade unions in collaboration with civil society organisations to intensify mobilisation to stop this abhorrent practice of bleeding and looting the already cash strapped economy of the state by a few a few greedy and self-serving public office holders”.

    President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Bobboi Kaigama sad Nigerians have lost hope of the country becoming a great nation, due to decades of rape of the national treasury by a privileged few, adding that even though Nigeria is a great nation, greatness is never achieved on a gold platter.  It is earned and must be consciously sustained.

    He argued that “the country is bleeding and there is no pretence about that. He who feels it knows it!  The poor masses of the country feel it in all spheres, and only very close monitoring of the economy, commitment and sincerity of purpose constitute the way out.

  • Labour to Buhari: Nigeria is bleeding, give us blueprint on job creation

    Labour to Buhari: Nigeria is bleeding, give us blueprint on job creation

    The Nigerian Labour Congress has asked the Federal Government to put in place strong measures to revive the ailing country’s economy, saying the country was bleeding and need urgent attention.
    Speaking at the 2016 May Day celebration in Abuja, President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said it was unfortunate that one year into life of the APC led federal government, the government was yet to bring out a blueprint for the creation of the three million jobs annually contained in its manifesto.
    While admitting that the unemployment crisis in the country is a reflection of the wider national economic crisis, Wabba said “we have persistently pointed out, there is hardly any household in Nigeria where there aren’t at least two or more unemployed persons who have graduated from various tiers of our educational system, looking for job placement for upward of three to five years.”
    “The ruling APC government in its manifesto promised to create three million jobs annually. We have waited one year for the government to bring out its blueprints on how it intends to go about achieving this.
    “Congress will seek audience with Mr. President to get more information on this important matter. On our part as workers, we will be prepared and willing to contribute to any effort to create a ‘Job Creation Fund,’ nationally to tackle this problem.
    “Our worry as organized labour is that if no concrete convictions are secured in the many corruption trials going on, between now and the next 12-15months, those who have stolen these huge fortunes will start feeling that they can outlive the Buahri Presidency, and return to a regime of “business as usual” as far as corruption is concerned.”
    He stressed that while in the last twelve months of the Presidency of President Buhari, INEC has been left to run its show as it deemed fit, the desperation of politicians of the two mainstream political parties gives of cause for concern.
    “Unless the unfinished reforms started with the partial implementation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais’ electoral reform committee are completed, we see dangers ahead.
    “Among these reforms waiting to be implemented is the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission.
    “For us in organized labour, unless our politicians know that there is real possibility that their electoral rascalities carry real penalties of jail terms or long term disqualification from contesting for public offices, the type of disgraceful mayhem witnessed during the recent election in Rivers and other states would continue unabated.
    “Similarly, unless we fine-tune the procedure for the appointment of the chairman and key officers of the electoral management body as recommended in the Justice Uwais report, the current progress made in the independence and operations of INEC are not irreversible”.

  • Don’t lose faith in Nigeria, Atiku tells workers

    Don’t lose faith in Nigeria, Atiku tells workers

    Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerian workers not to lose faith in the ability of the nation under the leadership of President Buhari to surmount these odds.
    In his May Day message to Nigerian workers, the former Vice President also proposed a fairer deal for workers in order to reduce the frequency of strikes in the country, which he regrets takes a heavy toll on the economy.
    He said that notwithstanding the huge challenges the country and its people are facing, it will take the support of everyone working in tandem with the Buhari administration to lift the economy out of the doldrums.
    “President Buhari alone cannot turnaround the fortunes of the country. It requires everyone – elected and appointed officials, the legislature and the judiciary, the public and private sectors and ordinary Nigerians – working together in faith and commitment to bring about the desired change”, he said
    The APC chieftain argued that President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade when combined with curbing wastages and profligacy will free much-needed resources to jumpstart the economy by investing in infrastructure and high jobs yielding sectors especially agriculture as proposed by the government.
    He reminded the workers that the envisaged better deal for them is intrinsically tied to increased productivity.
    “With dwindling revenue from oil, it has become imperative for us to bake a bigger cake that will be big enough for all partakers. To achieve this, we need to be more creative as a government and more productive as a people.”
    He maintained that observed that improved conditions of service for workers would help to reduce corruption and fraud among employees, pointing out that it is impossible to convince workers to make sacrifices while the public office holders live a life that is inconsistent with the economic realities of Nigeria.
    “We all need to make sacrifices in line with the realities of the time. It is not enough to ask workers to make sacrifices while public office holders are ostensibly immune from it. Such a situation promotes industrial disharmony,” he said.

  • Labour demands N56,000 minimum wage

    Labour demands N56,000 minimum wage

    ORGANISED labour has presented a new minimum wage of N56,000 to the Federal Government ahead of Sunday’s May Day celebration.

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, hoped the tripartite system to look into the demand would soon be put in place.

    The labour leader said although labour was aware  of the downturn in the economy, the laws of the land stipulates that minimum wage must be looked into every five years.

    He said: “I can say authoritatively that as at yesterday, we presented N56,000 as minimum wage to government. That demand was submitted officially to the Federal Government. And we hope that the tripartite system to look at the review will be put in place.

    “Our argument is that, yes, it’s true that the economy is not doing well, but the law is also clear that the issue must be looked into. And workers should not be seen to be sleeping on their rights.

    “These are processes, but when we come to the roundtable, we can then see the best way out. But I think it is obvious that since it is a product of law, it is usually required that the tripartite process be put in place so that we can look at the issues.

    “It is obvious that workers have not fared well in the last one year. But we will not continue to lament. What we try to do is to work out a process of engagement on how those issues can be addressed.”

    Asked if states that have not been able to implement the N18,000 minimum wage would be able to pay what they are demanding, he said: “First, you must understand the logic behind the minimum wage. The logic is to ensure that no worker earns below what can sustain him for 30 days.

    “You also know that when we negotiated the N18,000 minimum wage, you know the value in terms of exchange rate, it was almost at $110 to the naira. Today, it has been reduced to virtually nothing. It’s also about law; the law envisages that within a circle of five years, the issue of inflation will be there and the issue of purchasing power reduction will be there.

    “Mind you, the challenges  in our economy, we don’t expect it to be forever. It is something that is transient. Economy will always go up and down. We are passing through a turbulent time.

    “The issue of minimum wage is not essentially for now. It’s an issue we must take on board, if we want to address corruption. Without taking proper care of the worker, it is difficult. That is why I said it’s a process and we are going to dialogue around that process. That is why collective bargaining is important.”

    He added: “Remember that President Barack  Obama increased the United States minimum wage in 2008/2009 when the U.S. economy was in recession, because his understanding is that people need to be empowered to have the purchasing power to buy. If manufacturers are producing and nobody is buying, the economy will be at a standstill because people don’t have the purchasing power. And that is the situation we are in now. It’s an argument”.

    President, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Boboi Kaigama told The Nation that the laws were due for a review, necessitating the demand for a new minimum wage.

    He said: “We want to draw attention of the government to the fact that five years down the line, the minimum wage is due for review. We have made our submission and we expect a committee of organised labour and government to be put in place so that we sit down and see how the issues can be addressed.”

  • Labour praises Buhari on early salaries’ payment

    Senior Federal Public Servants have praised President Muhammadu Buhari over the early payment of the April emoluments of federal workers.

    The public servants, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), said they were satisfied with the compliance by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF)  to Buhari’s instruction that federal civil servants should be paid between the 24th and 25th of every month.

    ASCSN President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, while acknowledging workers’ appreciation for the timely implementation of the President’s directive, urged Buhari to also ensure that promotion arrears and other allowances owed federal employees were settled in good time.

    ‘‘We commend Mr. President for this directive and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for carrying it out,” Kaigama said in a statement yesterday, adding, “It is our hope that the OAGF has put necessary machinery in place to sustain the payment schedule and not to relapse to the old ways after few months.

  • Minister appeals to labour to shelve planned strike

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned warning strike over the new electricity tariff.

    The minister made the appeal in Abuja at the Third Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).

    “The dispute over the increment in electricity tariff is right before the National Assembly and it is only right that as law abiding social partners that all parties afford the National Assembly to arbitrate.

    “The President of NLC is not here but this occasion offers a crucial avenue for me to state government’s position on this hot button issue,” Ngige said.

    The minister advised investors in the power sector to provide decent working environment for their staff members as his ministry will no longer tolerate unfair labour practices, urging workers to give their utmost in promotion of productivity.

    Last week, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) resolved to organise a one-day action of protest and national warning strike over the state of the nation, especially the increase in electricity tariff and the fuel crisis.

    In an address presented by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, to the opening session of the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the congress held at the Labour House, Abuja, he said the response to the prevailing economic situation by all tiers of government in the country has been a source of worry for many Nigerians, especially Nigerian workers.

    According to him, Nigerians are feeling the heat and harsh realities of the economic crisis in the country, whose immediate cause is the drastic fall in the price of crude oil, which is the primary source of our nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

    Specifically, the NLC president decried the unjustifiable 45 per cent increase in electricity tariff, saying that the increase was “illegal, unfair, unjustifiable and a further exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians”.

    He pointed out that the due process in the extant laws for such an increment was not followed in consonance with Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act, 2005.

  • Labour to Fed Govt: fix the economy

    Labour to Fed Govt: fix the economy

    Labour has called on the Federal Government to take steps to revamp the  economy.

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) is worried that the economy is down and thousands sacked because of the closure of some companies.

    The President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama said: “Aside fuel scarcity , the dearth of US dollars has made it impossible for firms to repay foreign loans and import needed materials for production of which the consequence is mass sack of workers.

    “Our role as a labour centre is multifaceted. We are saddled with the responsibility of functioning as change agents and watchdogs of both government and private businesses, with the issue of workers welfare as priority.

    “But, of late our desk has been inundated with industrial issues, ranging from redundancy complaints to anti-labour practices, casualisation of workers to outright termination of employment.’’

    Kaigama lamented that the food and beverage sector had lost over 500 employees in the few months.

    He said the naira exchanges for N197 to a dollar at the official window and N320 at the parallel market, adding that firms that borrowed dollar-denominated loans were facing the risk of foreclosure on assets.

    The union chief demanded that the power distribution companies should stop sending estimated bills to Nigerians.

    “They are defrauding consumers while the government consistently looks the other way; how else do we explain the fact that Nigerians are paying for services not rendered?

    “We recall that the Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, prior to the 2015 elections said any government that cannot fix power in six months is irresponsible,” he said.

    He said it was worrisome to labour that the lingering fuel scarcity appeared to defy all solutions in a country that is the sixth largest oil producer in the world.

    Kaigama said Nigeria has become a laughing stock in the comity of nations, adding that man-hours lost in traffic because of long fuel queues were unimaginable.

    “As it stands now, virtually all sectors of the economy are groaning in serious and unbearable pain.

    “We are adverse to people blaming any particular political party for the ordeals of the country.

    “The people voted for the Federal administration because they desire change. We need to see that change now,” he said.

  • Power supply in more danger as Ikeja Electric exits talks with Labour

    The epileptic power supply will be further threatened as Ikeja Electric (IE), which distributes power to the bulk of Lagos Mainland, at the weekend discontinued talks with Labour.

    The company and workers agreed to the talks as a way forward after last month’s strike following disengagement of workers. The strike completely crippled power supply in the country’s economic capital.

    Yesterday, the company said it had discontinued the talks because “the negotiation was tending towards a proposition that would jeopardise transparency, employee performance and service excellence to customers.”

    Last month, Labour picketed the electricity distribution company for three days over the disengagement of workers who failed to meet the company’s performance objectives and were deemed to be performing below standard. However, the picketing was suspended after Ikeja Electric reached an agreement with the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to set up a committee to review the performance appraisal and competency assessment process.

    Ikeja Electric’s Head of Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue, said the company discontinued the talks “due to a clear determination by representatives of Labour to stick to a pre-conceived and irreversible position that the process was flawed. Therefore, the review process was an exercise in futility.

    “Rather than engage in an objective and constructive review of the whole appraisal process which is tailored in line with global best practices, Labour preferred an arbitrary review in which reduced criteria would be applied to certain selected employees who are members of the union”.

    He added: “The performance review process was classified into four stages, clearly detailing steps to be taken at each stage. However, Labour, without taking any of these steps into consideration and any justifiable rationale, insisted the process was flawed and demanded that Ikeja Electric must recall all disengaged staff.

    “While we remain committed to upholding best human capital processes and stakeholder engagement in fostering excellence in the workplace, there are indications that the propositions of certain actors in the negotiation process are against our resolve to provide improved services to our customers and are fixated on jeopardizing our overall interest to move the industry forward so we had no choice but to withdraw in the interest of our consumers”.

    Ofulue said since the electricity sector had suffered great setback for many decades because of mismanagement, it is time to focus on applying quality human capital to salvage the situation.

    The Ikeja Electric called for restraint to avoid the crippling electricity shutdown that accompanied last month’s strike

    He said Ikeja Electric would resist “any attempt to allow its customers go through another harrowing outage ordeal,” saying that the company will not hesitate to seek redress at the Industrial Court should Labour’s action “worsen the power situation which over the few weeks have been dismal due to grid challenges and gas shortage.”

  • Ikeja Electric opts out of negotiation over sacked workers

    Ikeja Electric opts out of negotiation over sacked workers

    Negotiation between Ikeja Electric Company and the Labour over the recent disengagement of workers has broken down with the company opting out of the talks.
    The company in a statement said that the negotiation was tending towards a proposition that would jeopardise transparency, employee performance and service excellence to customers.

    Last month, Labour had picketed the electricity distribution company for three days over the disengagement of workers who failed to meet the company’s performance objectives and were deemed to be performing below standard.

    However, the picketing was suspended after Ikeja Electric reached an agreement with the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE) and Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to set up a committee to review the performance appraisal and competency assessment process.

    Head of Corporate Communications of the company, Felix Ofulue, explained that the talks was discontinued due to ” a clear determination by representatives of Labour to stick to a pre-conceived and irreversible position that the process was flawed. Therefore, the review process was an exercise in futility.”

    Rather than engage in an objective and constructive review of the whole appraisal process which is tailored in line with global best practices as Ofulue said Labour preferred an arbitrary review in which reduced criteria would be applied to certain selected employees who are members of the union”.

    “The performance review process was classified into four stages, clearly detailing steps to be taken at each stage. However, Labour, without taking any of these steps into consideration and any justifiable rationale, insisted the process was flawed and demanded that Ikeja Electric must recall all disengaged staff.

    “While we remain committed to upholding best human capital processes and stakeholder engagement in fostering excellence in the workplace, there are indications that the propositions of certain actors in the negotiation process are against our resolve to provide improved services to our customers and are fixated on jeopardizing our overall interest to move the industry forward so we had no choice but to withdraw in the interest of our consumers,” he added.

    Ofulue noted that the electricity sector had suffered great setback over several decades of mismanagement and stressed that it was time to focus on applying quality human capital to salvage the situation.

    Calling for restraint, the Ikeja Electric spokesman pointed out that Labour was morally bound to protect the overall wellbeing of the masses, and not the interests of a select few.

    He cited the last picketing exercise which caused great distress to the general public and cautioned against saboteurs and detractors who were bent on scuttling the negotiation process for selfish reasons.

    He said the company would resist any attempt to allow its customers go through another harrowing outage ordeal, cautioning that the company will not hesitate to seek redress at the Industrial Court should Labour disrupt its ability to provide customers electricity supply and worsen the power situation which over the few weeks have been dismal due to grid challenges and gas shortage.

  • Stop slave labour, TUC tells NECA

    Stop slave labour, TUC tells NECA

    labour has accused the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) of being ‘’anti-worker”.

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) alleged that NECA is running a primitive policy that encourages slave labour.

    TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama  said in Abuja that NECA has the worst record of enslaving workers in the private sector.

    NECA, TUC alleged, does not  provide a conducive working environment,encourags casualisation and pays peanuts. These, he Kaigama said, had led to picketing of many NECA members by trade unions.

    Kaigama was reacting to a statement by NECA Director-General, Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo,  that the Ministry of Labour and Employment is ineffective because it allows trade unions to collect check-off dues and go on strike.

    The TUC chief stressed the need for NECA’s top hierarchy to familiarise itself with the historical development of trade union movement in Nigeria and the evolution of automatic check-off dues.

    He recalled that the 1978 re-structuring of the trade unions was to make them formidable and financially viable in line with the recommendation of Michael Abiodun Committee.

    “Prior to the restructuring, the trade unions in Nigeria depended largely on donations from foreign labour centres and political parties in the country and these posed grave national security challenges.

    “It was to check this threat and ensure the trade unions are financially independent that the then military regime of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo accepted the recommendation of Michael Abiodun Panel that the trade unions should be granted automatic check-off dues,” he said.

    According to Kaigama, since the enactment of Decree 22 of 1978 that gave effect to the present trade unions, including NECA, there had been a great deal of stability in trade union movement with its positive impact on the economy.

    “At any rate, if Oshinowo and his fellow travellers in NECA have engaged in international labour best practices by paying living wage, providing conducive working environment, stop casualisation of workers, among others, the trade unions in the private sector will not be embarking on strikes.

    “Besides, the NECA chieftain should realise that Nigeria is governed by laws and regulations, therefore, his campaign along the line of stoppage of automatic check-off dues will be resisted by the trade unions,” he stressed.

    Kaigama said the spate of strike in the country would have been worse but for the professional manner the labour ministry has been handling issues of labour relations in the country.

    ”Moreover, the labour centre pointed out that Section 5(3) of the Labour Act stipulates clearly that: ‘upon the registration and recognition of any of the trade unions specified in part A of Schedule 3 of the Trade Unions Act, the employer shall make deduction from the wages of all workers eligible to be members of the union for the purpose of paying contributions to the trade union so recognised,” he emphasised

    Kaigama said the Nigerian labour laws recognise the trade unions, the NECA and the government both as an employer and a regulator as equal partners in the industrial relations arena as enunciated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    The TUC leader, therefore, advised  NECA and its chief to refrain from campaigning against automatic check-off dues for trade unions and concentrate on curbing the uncivilised practices of its members.